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No. 14 The Hon. John Hall to the Agent-General. (Telegram.) Wellington, 17th January, 1880. Governor wired Colonial Office November fourth respecting rates postage Brindisi route after Southampton abandoned. No reply received. Ascertain decision. Telegraph rates. Sir Julius Vogel, London. J. Hall.

No. 15. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. (Telegram.) London, 24th January, 1880. Letters, sevenpence half-ounce; newspapers, three-halfpence four ounces; books, &c., threehalfpence two ounces, after first February. But proposal by A^ictoria for reduction under consideration. The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. J. Vogel.

No. 16. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th January, 1880. New Zealand objects A^ictorian proposal respecting postages. Sir Julius Vogel, London. J. Hall.

No. 17. The Secretary, Genei*al Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 31st December, 1879. You are aware that, in the new contract between the Postmaster-General and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company for the conveyance of mails between this country and India and China after the Ist February next, no provision is made for a service between Southampton and Suez, and that, consequently, arrangements have been made for sending wholly by the way of Brindisi the mails for those countries as well as those for such of the Australian Colonies as use the Suez route. In anticipation of this change a correspondence has taken place between this department and the French and Italian Post Offices with reference to the transit rates to be paid after the Ist February next for the accelerated service through France and Italy; and the negotiations have resulted in the Postmaster-General accepting the offer of the French and Italian offices to reduce the present transit rates to 10 francs per kilogramme for letters, 50 centimes per kilogramme for other articles, for the French transit, and by about 35 per cent, for the Italian transit. With this reduction of the foreign transit rates, Her Majesty's Government have decided to fix the following reduced rates of postage on such of the correspondence for New Zealand as may be sent from the United Kingdom by the Suez route: On letters, 7d. per half-ounce; newspapers, not exceeding four ounces, l|d. each; books and patterns, l|d. per two ounces. The rates of postage now levied on letters, &c, forwarded to New Zealand via San Francisco or by private ship will remain unchanged. I have, &c, The Postmaster-General, Wellington. Wm, Jas. Page.

No. 18. Mr. Gray to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 26th February, 1880. I have the honor, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 31st December last, stating, with reference to the new contract between your department and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company involving the discontinuance of the service between Southampton and Suez, that you had arranged with the French and Italian Post Offices to have the transit charges reduced, and that, in consequence, from the Ist instant the rates of postage on correspondence for New Zealand via Suez would be fixed at 7d. per half-ounce for letters, l^d. each for newspapers not exceeding four ounces, and l^d. per two ounces for books and patterns. In reply, I am to state that the Postmaster-General will direct that similar rates of postage shall be levied on correspondence for the United Kingdom from this colony for transmission via Brindisi, provided the additional postage charged over and above the ordinary rate will be sufficient to cover the French and Italian transit charges. The Postmaster-General will be glad to be informed that this is the case. I have, &c, W. Gray, The Secretary, General Post Office, London, Secretary.